Archive for June 2013

Counterfeit Drugs in America 101: a SAFEMEDICINES Tutorial for Healthcare Provider Associations July 18, 2013. Washington DC Every month brings a new story about healthcare providers in America encountering, ordering, and in some cases delivering non-FDA-approved medications from outside the secure supply chain to patients. The safety dangers to patients are paramount, but such activities…

A recent WUSA-9 story looked at the growing problem of American teens who are buying prescription medication online from foreign-based online pharmacies that demand neither proof of age nor prescription. The growing problem of fake online pharmacies is of particular concern for parents trying to protect their children from dangerous drugs and toxic fakes. In…

On June 10th, 2013, Global Pharmacy Canada, a fake Internet pharmacy based in Belize, was forced by the Ontario Court of Appeal to shut down offices in Toronto for violating Ontario’s professional pharmacy rules. Global Pharmacy Canada was originally cited by Health Canada for marketing drugs to Canadians that were not of Canadian origin on…

A second Johnson City doctor was charged with purchasing misbranded cancer drugs just days after Dr. William Kincaid was sentenced to 2 years for his role in purchasing & administering questionable cancer medication from non-FDA approved foreign suppliers. According to the indictment (Download Sen Indictment) released on June 11, 2013 by the U.S. District Court in Greeneville,…

Two Pakistani nationals have been extradited to the United States for their alleged role in importing misbranded pharmaceuticals and controlled substances worth approximately $780,000 into the United Sates by offering them for sale via the Internet. The drugs were packaged and shipped from locations in the United Kingdom as well as Pakistan.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released a report May 20th on the extradition and arrest of Sheikh Waseem Ul Haq, and Tahir Saeed of Karachi, Pakistan. The two men are charged with “conspiracy to import controlled substance pharmaceuticals into the United States; conspiracy to distribute controlled substance pharmaceuticals; conspiracy to introduce misbranded pharmaceuticals into interstate commerce; importation and distribution of controlled substance pharmaceuticals; introduction into interstate commerce of misbranded drugs, and conspiracy to commit international money laundering. It also includes a forfeiture allegation seeking all proceeds that can be traced to the scheme.”

View larger map On June 10, 2013, Dr. William Kincaid of Johnson City, Tennessee was sentenced to two years in prison for his role in purchasing misbranded and possibly counterfeit cancer drugs. Kincaid was a physician and managing partner for McLeod Cancer and Blood Center of Johnson City, Tennessee. The clinic was set up to…

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a disease that obstructs airways, limiting breathing and causing cardiopulmonary issues. Patients with COPD are likely to suffer severe shortness of breath and are more susceptible to upper respiratory infections, including flu and pneumonia, both of which can be deadly for them. Chronic conditions like COPD are often expensive to treat, and COPD patients may seek to find cheaper medications from risky fake online pharmacies which would provide them with substandard and unapproved medication and poor treatment. But patients can shop safely online and find affordable authentic medicines.

According to a report just published by Men’s Health Network “Breath Easy, Your Lungs and COPD” COPD is “the third leading cause of death in the United States, with 12 million Americans diagnosed with COPD, and another 12 million who suffer from the disease without knowing they have the disease.” Additionally they report that 120,000 men and women die of COPD a year in the United States, and approximately 85-90% of COPD deaths are the result of cigarette smoking.

The symptoms of COPD as outlined in the Men’s Health Network Report are: shortness of breath (Dyspnea), a chronic cough, and wheezing. COPD occurs in two main forms, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema. There is no cure for COPD, but symptoms can be ameliorated by careful treatment. Unfortunately COPD sufferers are particularly endangered by common illnesses that are easily treatable in a healthy patient. Colds, influenza, pneumonia, and other lung infections can be a death sentence for a COPD sufferer.

Flu season can be a dangerous time for COPD patients. The illness, which can range from mild to serious for the average adult, can be lethal for a COPD sufferer. Because of this, those with COPD should seek vaccination for seasonal flu, and medical treatment if they become ill with the flu.

However, if a COPD sufferer makes the mistake of turning to a fake online pharmacy to seek a flu vaccination or flu cure, they could be signing their own death warrant. Drug counterfeiters regard flu season as an opportunity to make money selling fake vaccines and flu treatments. In February 2013, during the height of flu season, the FDA posted a public warning concerning fraudulent flu treatments and vaccines for sale on the Internet. As Gary Coody, the FDA’s national health fraud coordinator said in the warning “As any health threat emerges, fraudulent products appear almost overnight. Right now, so-called ‘alternatives’ to the flu vaccine are big with scammers.”